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One of the things which I battle with is every post is the
photos. We all want our photos to stand out and be amazing and how many times
have we taken a fabulous picture only to see a huge pile of clothes or toys in
the back ground?

A quick stroll through Instagram and Pinterest and jealously
immediately strikes with all these people who have the perfect home for
backdrops! A marble coffee table just right for close ups. A perfect designer
rustic table for those gingerbread men to be set against! It took me nearly
three years to cotton on the fact that most of these weren’t real! I was round
at friend’s city house – brand new home, no rustic or expensive furniture and
mused about where she took her stunning old country house shots! Out whipped a
box full of props! Including and this was my first time of hearing about her –
5 Capture By Lucy back drops,
random wall papers and lots of cards. It seems the best way to get those
fantastic gorgeous shots we see in a messy home is good old faking it. But!!!
You need to fake it with quality!

Wallpaper doesn’t last and this is where Capture By Lucy
comes in. Lucy’s a professional product photographer so you know these will be
just amazing. She has the most amazing range of backdrops on her site and they
are incredibly to use! They’re vinyl with patterns printed on one side and grey
on the back. Being vinyl and 100% waterproof also means they are wipe clean – a
huge benefit for bakers! She has everything you need from rustic oak tables to
marble and beach house flooring. There’s a good 10+ on there I have on my
Christmas wish list! A great post in how to use these gorgeous backdrops is byEmma Davies photography which shows a different technique but they are fool
proof and perfect for flatlay shots. UK based they do ship worldwide so my
lovely readers abroad don’t feel you’re missing out!

Capture By Lucy recently sent me a speckled grey background
which is incredibly universal. It has been a great neutral back drop for
everything from medicinal
products to flowers, baking and hand warmers. I love that it rolls up
easily and fits in a tube and has meant when heading to my parents it can come
along with me! It’s also great for when you’re out and about and need a good
base. Mine have been wiped clean, dragged around all over the place and harshly
treated but as you can see they come up trumps every time! You can purchase one
at under £30 which having spent a fortune previously on ebay ones or finding
that many are far too big for close ups these are well worth their value. 8
trips to my local DIY shop for wall paper which has one use cover this and so
they are hugely value for me!

Take a look over at her gorgeous backdrops – they change regularly
and you can help but find some you love and know will be used almost daily!

Many of the National Trust
homes open their doors for winter these days and allow us a glimpse of
Christmas NT style. We recently went to Uppark this weekend to take a glimpse
at the below stairs for a Victorian Christmas Party.

Uppark has always been a family favourite to visit – I can
remember the fire in the ‘80s and so we have watched with delight as money has
been invested into visitor experiences and become a great place for children to
explore. At the start of the property is a cabin to pick up the children’s
trail which are free although they would love a donation. The boys ran straight
over and stayed chatting with the fabulous staff for a good twenty minutes.

The choice you are greeted with is to hit the new café –
absolutely scrumptious and fabulous range – or explore the underground servants’
tunnels or to head into the main house…of course the first thing the boys
wanted to do was to hit the tunnels! As ever they were baffled but how on earth
the huge long ladder that runs the length of the tunnel can get out, the bat
hole – yes truly – was thoroughly watched and then we headed down the tunnel to
the sound of the brass band playing over head to the house.

You come in the basement of the house and the children’s
trail continues through the rooms down here. The boys rushed from room to room
and loved the detail which the staff had put in. Inside the servant’s room is a
dance floor and tree festooned with decorations made by Upparks volunteers. A
menu is laid out of the meal the servants are preparing. One of our favourite
rooms in the National Trust house have to be the kitchens and Uppark delivers
here. The boys each took a turn to stir the Christmas pudding mixture and make
a wish. They loved the mannequins throughout the house which are designed and
created by Denise Watson of Delicarta. The servants’ clothes are made of
painted paper – hard to tell they are material and you catch them as they are tidying
up after the party upstairs.

One of the benefits of the children’s trail is it opens their
eyes to all the smaller details you’re likely to miss as you glance around the
room. As they hunt for the box there’s guaranteed to be little squeals of
delight as they notice something else sticking out the corner or hidden under
the table! Uppark is host also to one of the most stunning doll houses I have
ever seen and it even captures the boys’ attentions. They also adore looking in
the rooms of the second dolls houses which is a model of the house they are in!
Upstairs the house is mostly closed for winter but the dining hall is open
allowing you to catch the family in action after the food has been eaten. The
attention to detail is stunning but the menu left the boys making demands for
Christmas dinner!!!

The new café in the east pavilion is the perfect place to
head this winter and if you can try and poach a chair by the window as the view
is one of the most beautiful I’ve seen. It’s rare for us to be able to all eat
a decent meal out – allergy’s and fussy kids – and yet the café has such a huge
range of food there was a meal to delight us all. From the chilli non carne to
the turkey wellington we all dug in and adored the extra touch of crackers
which accompanied the meals.

After such a fabulous meal, of course we had to finish exploring
and we had great fun in the stables dressing up and taking pictures with their
props. As headed across the park to the dairy our friends couldn’t help but
burst in to dance and music!! The lawn does rather cry out for a run and hop I
have to say – in summer it’s also perfect for rolling down. We spent a good
three hours exploring Uppark and its delights and as day trip out we can highly
recommend it regardless of weather conditions!

The National Trust have a lovely array of what’s on this winter – take a look here to
see what’s on near you – personally I can’t wait to see the Brothers Grimm
display at Hinton Ampner!

This winter is all about celebrating your natural beauty but
in the most gorgeous and stunning way possible. Over the past couple of years,
the catwalk trend has been a focus on nude acceptance and this winter that
trend is still going strong with models look almost underdone! But how can you
set yourself off to look your most glamourous while still embracing the no-make
up look……

The Body Shop has made this years trend easy to follow. With
a nude look the main thing you need is a good base. Barely any one has a
perfect complexion natural so don’t worry!

Before I
ever start on foundation a good moisturiser is essential and I mix mine up with
a little Instablur to give an almost flawless start.

Base

Apply your foundation after a couple of minutes of giving
your moisturiser and instablur time to settle in (industry experts say 15 mins
but I just don’t have that time) Then if you’re anything like me this is where Instamatt
comes into power. My t-zone is oily while the rest of my face is dry Instamatt
is perfect to use throughout the day at keeping your skin across your t-zone
like velvet. Use concealer where needed – I use a lip brush with mine to ensure
the oils from my fingers don’t slide off the concealer before I’ve even started.

Complexion

Dab a little of drops of glow on your fingertips next. This
adds the tiniest of sheens and you can place where you would naturally
highlight. Top of the cheek bones, collar bones a tiny bit above the outside of
your eyes and in the very centre waken your eyes up instantly!

Cheeks

While the nude look to many people suggests a plain face, I
add a tiny amount of colour to the cheeks to aid a healthy glow and here I
channel my inner Emma Watson. Looking stunning and perfectly channelling this year’s
make up trend she came out earlier this year to say her favourite product was lip & cheek stain in pomegranate by the Body Shop. It gives the most natural of
glows and is perfect to carry from day to evening. Lightly dab your face with
loose face powder and brush off any excess. Your base is now perfect!

Eyes

Stay gentle. Black or brown mascara is fine but separate lashes
well with a brush. Use natural nude and soft brown eye shadows to work your
look. To change your look to evening decide whether to work on your eyes or
lips. If it’s the lips leave your eyes alone and use a bright red. If you want
to emphasise your eyes – use a shimmering eye shadow, dark eye liner and layer
up that mascara. The result? An incredibly gorgeous but still natural effect.

Lips

Quite frankly I would leave your lips well alone. A good lip
balm and buff are more than enough. However, if you decide to emphasise your
lips for evening do ensure your lips are smooth, a quick brush over with a soft
toothbrush will remove hard or dead skin and hear again use the instamatt over
the top of your lipstick to keep it in place!

This weekend is the time I spend making my wreath to go on my
door. I have previously shown here the National Trust how
to for a Christmas Wreath and while being incredibly popular some of you
commented you didn’t have the time for this sort of wreath.

So why not this
year then make a simple but gorgeous Mistletoe Kissing Ring? Click on the link
below to find out more about these gorgeous rings.

You can use anything that’s long, thin and flexible like willow or dogwood,
anything that will bend into a full circle. Ours are about 15cm in diameter but
you can make any size you want. It’s easy to add extra bits. Perhaps holly or a
leafy branch on the final layer, or brighten it up with some ribbon. Don’t be
afraid to be creative.

Method:

1. Pick a smooth branch and bend it so that it forms a rough circle

Step 1: use slim pliable
stems to form your ring

2. Take a second branch, bend and weave that around the first

Step 2: weave a
second branch in and out around the first

3. Repeat this process with several more branches, weaving them
together. You’ll find natural gaps to weave through, and the branches will
begin to lock in place as more are added to strengthen the weave.

Step 3: continue
with other branches; try to get an even spacing of foliage

4. Use secateurs to trim off any excess until you’re satisfied with the
final shape.

Step 4: trim with
secateurs; you can leave smaller stems loose for a softer look

5. Hook your mistletoe through a small gap in the weave so that it hangs
into the circle.

Step 5: push a
cluster of mistletoe with berries into the ring's centre from the top

6. Use a loop of string, twine or ribbon to hang it in your chosen
location.

6. your natural kissing ring can be decorated with
mistletoe berries or ribbon

Parents are notoriously difficult to buy for when it
comes to finding the ideal gift. They either have everything they need already,
or they tell you not to buy them anything at all,
because all they want is ‘peace and quiet’.
However, there are ways to find the perfect present for your mum and dad –
something they will love, and that they will cherish.

Something
To Help

A good way to come up with something just right for
your parents is to think about what it is that they need a little help with. Are they becoming unsteady on their feet
but love to go for long rambling walks in the countryside? Then what about a
walking stick to help them along? Or do they love to read but their eyes aren’t
what they used to be? Then you might want to consider getting them a beautiful
reading lamp, or even a Kindle Paperwhite which means you don’t need a light at
all. Look around their home and observe them as they go about their day to day
business – you’ll soon come up with some great ideas.

Something
To Eat Or Drink

Food and drink is a wonderful gift, and for parents, it’s an excellent idea. You could make
up a hamper of all their favorite things,
and present it in a decorative way. Ideas
of what to include are chocolate, cakes, jams and chutneys, cheese, wine, beer,
spirits (opting for their favorite
tipple), and crackers. If you’re short on time but still love the idea of a
hamper, there are plenty of companies online who will make one for you – some
are pre-made, and others are bespoke to
your specifications.

Something
To Look Forward To

For the parents who have everything, whose home is
already full of things and who don’t need any help with anything, giving them
something that they can look forward to such as upcoming concert tickets or a voucher they can use to book a special, memorable experience will
make their day. Not only will they be able to enjoy the build-up to the event itself,
but if you pick the right artist or attraction, they’ll have fun on the day
too.

Something
For The Garden

While it’s true that your parents’ home might be exactly as they want it, so they genuinely don’t want or need anything else, but what
about their garden? Could their backyard do with a few items to make it look even better
than it already does? There are so many new garden gadgets on the market that
even the least green-fingered amongst us
will be able to find some pleasure in the great outdoors. If all else fails, a
comfortable deckchair or hammock and a stack of paperbacks might just do the trick!

Something
For The Memories

As we get older, we can sometimes
forget that our parents are getting older too.
Those precious memories of your childhood can be a gorgeous gift for them,
showing them that you appreciate everything they did for you. You might choose
to make a collage of photos and frame it, or perhaps a photo book that they can
browse through whenever they are feeling nostalgic. Leave some space in the back of the book for new memories; they’re so
important.